launch-planning

name	launch-planning
description	Plan product and feature launches across owned, earned, community, partner, and outbound channels. Produces launch narrative, audience map, asset checklist, channel calendar, risk plan, and measurement dashboard. Use when launching a startup, feature, campaign, Product Hunt post, or category narrative.
license	MIT
compatibility	Claude Code, Jesse, Codex, Hermes, Windsurf, OpenCode, Gemini CLI, Copilot, Zed, VS Code, Goose
metadata	{"version":"1.0.0","author":"LeadMagic","category":"founder-led","tags":["launch","product-launch","go-to-market","product-hunt","press","channels"],"related_skills":["positioning-messaging","social-media-strategy","content-marketing","sales-enablement","founder-brand"],"frameworks":["Maja Voje — Go-to-Market Strategist","Lenny Rachitsky — B2B Launch Playbook","Andy Raskin — Strategic Narrative"]}

Launch Planning

Overview

Most product launches fail not because the product is bad but because the launch is treated as an announcement instead of a coordinated campaign. The mistake: publishing a blog post on launch day and hoping for virality. This skill covers tiered launch architecture, 16-channel coordination, Product Hunt optimization, press/influencer outreach, and post-launch measurement — built on Maja Voje's proven GTM launch phases and Lenny Rachitsky's B2B launch methodology.

When to Use

Trigger phrases: "plan a product launch", "launch our new feature", "build a pre-launch checklist", "set up Product Hunt launch", "coordinate a multi-channel launch", "product launch strategy", "Tier 1 launch", "launch timeline and channels"

Authoritative Foundations

Maja Voje — GTM Strategist Phases 7-9

Phases 7 (Pre-Launch), 8 (Launch), 9 (Post-Launch) are the execution phases where most companies fail. The key: 70% of launch effort happens BEFORE launch day. Launch day is execution, not planning.

Andy Raskin — Strategic Narrative

Every launch needs a narrative: "The world has changed (old game), and here's the new game you need to play. Our product is the vehicle to win the new game." This narrative becomes the through-line across all launch channels.

Lenny Rachitsky — B2B Launch Playbook

The most successful B2B launches follow a multi-week timeline with coordinated channel strategy, not a single-day spray. Lenny's framework emphasizes building a "launch coalition" — partners, influencers, and customers who amplify simultaneously.

Step-by-Step Process

Phase 1: Launch Tier Selection

Tier 1 (Major — 6-8 weeks prep):

• Triggers: New product, pivot, rebrand, major funding announcement, $0→$1 launch
• Channels: ALL (16+ channels)
• Budget: $5-25K (press, ads, design, video)
• Assets: Land page, demo video, press kit, social campaign, email sequence, blog posts (3-5), customer stories, partner co-marketing, paid amplification

Tier 2 (Medium — 3-4 weeks prep):

• Triggers: Major feature, integration launch, new pricing tier, new vertical
• Channels: Blog, email, social, in-app, community, partner co-marketing
• Budget: $1-5K
• Assets: Blog post, email sequence, social graphics (3-5), in-app announcement, sales enablement (1-pager, pitch deck update)

Tier 3 (Minor — 1 week prep):

• Triggers: Feature update, minor integration, improvement
• Channels: Changelog, in-app notification, email to affected users, social post
• Budget: $0-500
• Assets: Changelog entry, in-app notification, 1 social graphic

Phase 2: Pre-Launch Timeline (Tier 1)

Week -6 to -4: Foundation

• Finalize positioning and strategic narrative (Raskin framework)
• Identify target audience segments and key influencers
• Build press list (30-50 journalists, bloggers, newsletter authors)
• Reach out to 10-20 partners for co-marketing ("we'll promote your launch too")
• Draft all launch assets

Week -3 to -2: Asset Production

• Landing page (hero, demo, social proof, CTA)
• Demo video (2-3 minutes, produced or high-quality Loom)
• Press kit: logos, screenshots, founder bios, key stats, quotes, press release
• Blog post (long-form, SEO-optimized)
• Social campaign (10-15 posts across platforms)
• Email sequence (3 emails: teaser → launch → follow-up)
• Customer case study (if applicable)

Week -1: Pre-Briefing

• Email VIP customers: "Launching next week — here's an early look"
• Brief partners: send assets, suggested social copy, launch day instructions
• Brief investors: send deck, ask for social amplification on launch day
• Submit to Product Hunt (if applicable — get listed, prep hunter)
• Pre-submit to Hacker News, Reddit (build relationships with mods/community)
• Schedule all social posts and emails

Week 0: Launch Day

• 6:00 AM: Blog post published, all social posts go live
• 7:00 AM: Email #1 sent to subscribers
• 8:00 AM: Partners post (coordinated timing)
• 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM: Engage with every comment, reply, mention
• Throughout: Monitor Product Hunt, HN, Reddit, Twitter — respond fast
• End of day: Internal debrief — what's working, what's not, what to amplify

Week +1: Amplification

• Email #2: "In case you missed it" + social proof ("X people signed up")
• Boost top-performing social posts with $100-500 each
• Follow up with press who didn't respond
• Publish "launch recap" or "behind the scenes" content
• Engage with every Product Hunt review

Week +2 to +4: Sustain

• Email #3: Customer story or use case deep dive
• Retargeting ads: website visitors from launch week
• Publish 1-2 follow-up blog posts (deeper dives)
• Pitch guest posts and podcast appearances about the launch
• Measure: signups, demos, pipeline, revenue

Phase 3: Channel Architecture (16 Channels)

#	Channel	Tier 1	Tier 2	Tier 3
1	Blog post	✓	✓
2	Email newsletter	✓	✓
3	LinkedIn (company page)	✓	✓	✓
4	LinkedIn (founder personal)	✓	✓
5	X/Twitter (company)	✓	✓
6	X/Twitter (founder personal)	✓	✓
7	Product Hunt	✓	✓
8	Hacker News	✓
9	Reddit (relevant subreddits)	✓
10	Community groups (Slack, Discord, WhatsApp)	✓	✓
11	Partner co-marketing	✓	✓
12	Press outreach	✓
13	Influencer outreach	✓
14	In-app announcement	✓	✓	✓
15	Changelog	✓	✓	✓
16	Paid amplification	✓	✓

Phase 4: Product Hunt Playbook

Preparation (2+ weeks before):

1. Choose a hunter (influential PH user with 5K+ followers — they get notified)
2. Create maker profile with real photo, bio, previous launches
3. Prepare: tagline (< 60 chars), description, first comment (long-form story), 5+ screenshots/GIFs, demo video (YouTube/Vimeo), icon (240x240)
4. Line up 20+ people to upvote and comment within first hour (critical for ranking algorithm)
5. Prep reply templates for common questions

Launch day:

• Post at 12:01 AM PST (Product Hunt day starts midnight Pacific)
• First comment posted immediately by maker
• Engage with EVERY comment within 30 minutes
• Don't ask for upvotes directly (violates PH rules)
• Ask supporters: "We're live on Product Hunt — would love your support today!" (acceptable)

Post-launch:

• Thank every reviewer publicly
• Share badge/"#1 Product of the Day" on social and website
• Follow up with leads from PH comments

Phase 5: Press and Influencer Outreach

Press list building:

• Search: journalists who covered competitor launches, your space, or related
• Tools: Muck Rack, X/Twitter lists, journalist databases
• Target: 30-50 contacts. Each gets a personalized pitch, not a spray.

Pitch structure:

Subject: [Company] launches [product] — [one-line value prop]

Hi [name],

I'm reaching out because you covered [related story they wrote].

We're launching [product] on [date]. It [one sentence what it does and why
it matters]. We're at [$X ARR / X customers / X metric — something newsworthy].

I can offer:
- Exclusive early access
- Interview with our founder
- Customer data/stories
- Screenshots and assets

Available this week if you'd like to chat.

Best,
[Name]

Influencer outreach:

• Identify 10-20 influencers in your space with engaged audiences (not just follower count)
• Offer: exclusive early access, affiliate commission, co-marketing, interview
• Don't pay for coverage — it's unethical and audiences can tell

Output Format

LAUNCH PLAN — [Product Name]

Tier: [1/2/3]
Launch Date: [date]
Pre-Launch Start: [date — 6/3/1 weeks before]

Strategic Narrative:
- Old game → New game → Our product as vehicle

Target Audience:
- Primary: [specific segment]
- Secondary: [specific segment]

Key Messages (3):
1. [message]
2. [message]
3. [message]

Timeline:
[Week-by-week task list with owners]

Channel Plan:
[16-channel grid with ✓/✗ for each]

Assets Checklist:
[Every asset with status: Draft / Review / Final]

Success Metrics:
- Signups/Demos: [target]
- Pipeline: [target]
- Press mentions: [target]
- Product Hunt: [target upvotes/ranking]
- Revenue: [target — often delayed 30-90 days]

Implementation Checklist

• Launch tier selected based on scope (T1/T2/T3)
• Strategic narrative written (Raskin: old game → new game → vehicle)
• 16-channel grid populated for launch tier
• All assets produced and reviewed before launch week
• Partners pre-briefed with assets and suggested copy
• Product Hunt prepared (hunter, assets, first-hour supporters)
• Press/influencer list built with personalized pitches
• Social posts and emails pre-scheduled
• Launch day engagement plan (real-time response to every comment)
• Post-launch follow-up sequence ready (emails, content, retargeting)

Quality Check

Before delivering, verify:

• Output matches the user's stated request
• Named frameworks or sources are reflected in the recommendation
• The deliverable is specific enough for an agent to execute
• Any assumptions, risks, or dependencies are explicit
• No unsupported claims, invented facts, or private/internal references are included

Common Pitfalls

1. Launch without pre-launch. Showing up on launch day with no audience, no partners, and no press list is publishing, not launching. Fix: 6 weeks pre-launch for Tier 1. 70% of effort is pre-launch.

2. One channel only. Product Hunt without email, social, partners, and press reaches 10% of your potential audience. Fix: Activate minimum 8 channels for Tier 1 launches.

3. No launch narrative. "We launched a new feature" is not news. "The old way of X is dead — here's the new way" is a launch. Fix: Write the Raskin strategic narrative before writing anything else.

4. Poor Product Hunt execution. Launching at 9am with no first-hour supporters and a generic first comment = page 3 of PH, 10 upvotes. Fix: Launch at midnight PST, line up 20+ supporters, write a compelling first comment story.

5. No post-launch follow-up. Traffic spikes and disappears in 48 hours. If you don't have retargeting, email sequences, and follow-up content ready, you'll capture 5% of the value. Fix: Build post-launch sequences during pre-launch. They go live automatically.

6. Measuring the wrong things. Upvotes and pageviews feel good but don't pay bills. Fix: Measure pipeline and revenue. Content → signup → demo → close. Launch is a GTM motion, not a vanity contest.

Execution Artifacts

• references/framework-notes.md — Named frameworks and reference tables
• templates/output-template.md — Deliverable shell for agent output
• scripts/check-output.py — Lightweight deliverable validator

Related Skills

• positioning-messaging — Dunford positioning, Raskin narrative, messaging matrix
• social-media-strategy — Per-platform content, posting cadence, engagement
• content-marketing — Content strategy, SEO, pillar pages
• sales-enablement — Pitch decks, one-pagers, battlecards
• founder-brand — Personal brand amplification during launch